Hearse attachment.



Np. 644,979. Patented Mar. s, me.

M. M. GUILEY.

HEARSE ATTACHMENT.

(Appmaion met; Aug.V 9, 1899.; (No Model.)

a 'Sl- -Qh--L- o g l gw- WMM/7M,

125 l 3 "27- A. .5 "n

gigs.,

W i lxjcsscs y I 77 :jaa QOP MILTON M. GUILEY, OF HARTVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONF-HALF TO PHILO O. SMITH, OF CAIRO, OIIIO.

HEARSE ATTACHM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,979, dated March 6, 1900. Application tiled August 9, 1899. Serial No= 726,711. (No model.)

To L'ZZ 1071/0111/ it' may concern: l

Be it known that I, MILTON M. GUILEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartville, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Hearse Attachment, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates toA hearses, and more particularly to attachments therefor; and it has for one object to provide a coffin-clamp upon the licor of the hearse and by means of which the cofiin may be readily placed within the hearse and may be iirmly clamped in position to prevent its accidental displacement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamp which when opened will be in a position to receive the coflin freely and which, moreover, when in its operative position will clamp thecoiiin and will automatically adj ust itself to conform to the shape of the coffin to hold the latter securely and prevent injury thereto.

In the drawingsl forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a hearse, showing the position of the clamping apparatus in operative relation to a coflin. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the floor of the hearse with the coffin removed, its position being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the under side of the floor of the hearse, showing the positions of the toggle-levers and the jaws disteuded or separated.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 represents a base which may be the 'floor of a hearse and to the underside of which, and preferably adjacent one end thereof, are pivoted the ends of toggle-links 6 and 7 upon a common pivot S. Pivotally connected with the link 6 is a cooperating link 9, while similarly connected with the link 7 is a cooperating link 10, the opposite ends of the links 9 and 10 being dis` posed at opposite sides of an operating-lever 11, to which they are pivoted, as shown at 12. The lever 11 is pivoted at 13 to the under side of the base 5, upon which the toggle-links are located, and hence by manipulation of said lever the pivot 12 may be moved toward or away from the pivot 8 to bring the opposite ends of their respective links outwardly or inwardly. In order to hold the lever 11 against movement iuone direction, a notched segment 14 is secured to the base 5 and is adapted for engagement by a pawl15, pivoted to the lever and having a connection 16 with an operatingi handle 17, a spring 1S being adapted to hold the pawl in engagement with the segment in the usual manner.4 j

Upon the upper surface of the body 5 are arranged clamping-plates 2O and 21, upon the adjacent edges of which are formed flanges 22 and 23, forming clamping-jaws. The plate 20 is pivotally mounted upon the pivotal con-` nection of the links 7and 10, while the plate 23 is similarly mounted upon the pivotal connection of the links 6 and 9, said pivotal connections being passed through arc-shaped slots 25 and 26 in the base 5 and in which they are adapted to play as the clampingplates are moved toward and away from each other under the influence of the lever 11. The rear edges of the plates 2O and 21 are curvingly tapered, as shown, and in the paths of said plates in their outward movement are varranged pins 27 and 2S, adapted for engagement bythe adjacent rear edges of the clamping-plate and to move the clam pingejaws into parallelism, said pins forming stops for the plates at'the limits of their outward movement. It will be noted that the pins 27 and 28 are arranged adjacent opposite ends of their respective clamping-plates, the object of this being that while when the plates are moved outwardly they will have an arrangement at an angle to the length of the base, when they have reached the limit of their outward movement their opposite ends will engage the pins and set them parallel. It will thus be seen that the plates will normally lie parallel when separated and that when moved inwardly, while at iirst tending to arrange themselves at an angle to the length of the base, as soon as they engage the sides of the coffin they will move upon their pivots and will conform to the shape of the coffin. i

It will be of course understood that this clamp may be employed in any desired con# nection, that any desired materials may be employed, that the clamping-plates may have any preferred shape and nish, and also that the operating-lever may be projected from any point desired to facilitate manipulation thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed isl. In a device of the class described, the combination with a base, of cooperating toggie-levers mutually connected, and havinga common pivotal connection with the base, a clamping -jaw pivoted to the intermediate pivot of each lever, and means connected with the levers for operating them.

2. The combination with a base, of toggle-m levers having a common pivotal connection therewith, slots in the base through which the pivots of the levers are passed, a clamping jaW carried by each pivot, and means for operating the toggle-levers.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a base having slots therein, toggle-levers having a common pivotal connection with the base, the pivot of the links of each lever being passed throughV a slot in the base, a clamping-jaw carried by each of said pivots, and a lever connected with the togglelevers for operating them and having means for holding it in different positions in its ad* justment.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a base having slots therein, of toggle-levers comprisingmutually-pivoted links, a common pivotal connection between said levers and the base, pivots for the links of the levers passed through openings inthe base, clamping-jaws carried by said pivots, stops in the paths of said jaws adapted to move them upon their pivots, a lever connected With the Vtoggle-levers for operating them, and means for holding the lever at ditferent-points in its adjustment.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I `have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

MILTON M. GUILEY.

Witnesses:

OHAs. F. HILL, v JOSEPH BROWN. 

